The Ludhiana Unit of Special Task Force (STF) has nabbed four drug peddlers, including a former Sarpanch of village Rano of Payal area. STF has been able to recover 5.39 kg heroin, three illegal weapons with live cartridges, Rs 21 lakh cash, and eigh posh cars.
According to STF, these drug smugglers are part of a high-level international nexus that is operated from Australia.
The accused who are detained have been identified as Gurdeep Singh Rano, a native of village Rano, Payal, and Randeep Singh, resident of Khanna. As per the STF officials, Gurdeep Singh is the main smuggler, who owns all luxurious cars and has made a lot of property from drug smuggling. Notably, Gurdeep Singh is the former Sarpanch of village Rano.
Divulging the details, Balkar Singh, IG-STF said that it had recovered 5.39 kg heroin, three weapons including 0.315 bore rifles with cartridges, 12 bore pump action gun and 0.32 bore revolver along with cartridges, Rs 21,04,950 drug money, and eight cars including a Toyota Fortuner, Audi Q7, two Toyota Innova cars, two BMW cars, one Mercedes Benz and one Jaguar.
It has been further added by the official that the accused Gurdeep Singh is a part of high-level drug nexus which is being run by Tanveer Singh Bedi of Barnala, who lives in Australia. He is also the kingpin in an earlier case registered by the STF Border Range in which 197.890 kg of heroin was seized in January and also in a recent case of the recovery of 28 kg heroin and 6 kg ice drug by the Ludhiana STF range.
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IG Balkar said all consignments belonged to the same network headed by Tanveer Bedi. With the arrest of these accused, a major network and supply chain had been neutralized.
During further investigation of a case, the FIR registered on October 29, 3 kg heroin, and 2 kg chemical (used for refining heroin) and an Activa scooter were recovered by the STF, Ludhiana.
Reportedly, Gurdeep Singh has amicable relations with certain leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress, however, a few of them can be associated to the case. It will be evident to see if the STF will expose foul leaders or not.
STF works under the supervision of ADGP Harpreet Sidhu who is an upright officer and has been able to expose significant drug nexus.